Only You
by Yumiko Haruno
Summary: Re-write of Fading Paths. Confusing new starts and contradicting information. An Organization rebuilding a thousand year old Hidden Village and its citizens. A sudden rise of missing people around the world. The race to find the missing shinobi in this time period is quickly coming to end before history repeats itself. "Don't you ever wonder who we use to be?"


Unbearable. That was how she felt when she laid eyes on him.

Her heart throbbed painfully, her breath hitched, and her knees went weak as she saw him stand beside the woman.

The woman's layered hair reached past her shoulders light in color. Her thin face and almond eyes stunned Hirata leaving her breathless at the beauty a single woman could hold with simple facial features.

"Hinata?"

The man's ashy colored hair swayed with the gust of wind that rushed between them. The woman's hair whipped against her face leaving her with a face covered with tangled hair. The man reached out and pulled her hair away from her face, smiling brightly at the woman who giggled back. His hand remained on her cheek and Hinata sucked in air as he leaned in.

"Hinata?"

She turned away from the window setting her gaze on her boss.

"Yes?"

Half his face was scrunched, lips puckered up, "Are you okay?" She nodded half-forcing a smile.

The owner relaxed his face, smacking his lips as he responded before going to the back where the rescued dogs waited. "Ok than."

She walked with him with her gaze making sure he was deep within the back before turning back to stare out the window.

The couple stood laughing under the bare branches of a tree besides an ice cream shop, leaning against each other giving equally loving gazes as the man pecked her on lips and took her hand, leading her away.

Hinata watched them leave her range of view before resting her head on her hand and sighed.

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The Restless:

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* * *

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She sat on a worn out office chair staring blankly at the wall, a pencil statistically placed on her upper lip, arms crossed and legs fully extended. Her pale blue eyes were calculating, dimmed in thought as she flickered her gaze from the wall to the white ceiling. The sound of the clock ticking filled the silence.

Imaginary images appeared on the removable ceiling tiles and she smiled at the thought.

"We should have the ceiling drawn on."

"Drawn on," questioned her boss while he carried a dirty miniature poodle towards the back.

She continued staring at the blank ceiling tilting her head, "Yeah! Add some life to the Rescue and Adoption Center. You know, spice things up?"

He popped his head out, "I don't think 'Spicing' things out is going to add life to the center."

She looked at him, "How about 'Sweeten' things up?" He looked at her, puckered his lips, and nodded at her.

"I'll think about it, how about that?"

She chuckled standing up from her seat and walked toward the entrance. Hinata flipped the sign to open and with a flick of her wrist unlocked the center's doors. She turned around to face her boss who was struggling from taking a mother cat and her kittens out the plastic cage they were delivered in this morning. "How about it?" she answered smiling and hands on her hips.

* * *

[….] [….] [….] [….] [….] [….] [….]

* * *

The day passed by way too quickly for her liking she thought as she walked inside the dark room with a broom and dust picker. Projected light flickered throughout the room, dusting the empty seats with dim light and moving shadows.

She made her way up the stairs towards the top row seats and began brushing off the popcorn and other snacks people left after watching the movie. Popcorn was scattered everywhere on the floor and half-filled beverages in the cup holders as well as a suspicious can of beer. She bend down to look at the can before picking it up and sighing, "Sarah isn't going to like this."

"I'm not going to like what?"

Sakura looked at her superior with the can of beer in her hand.

"Again!" The manager jogged up the stairs, snatched the can out of Sakura's hand, and growled in irritation. The older woman stared at the can like a child looking at candy, "And it's the cheap kind as well."

Sakura proceeded cleaning, keeping her gaze on her manager waiting for further instructions. The woman rumbled away, spewing off insults in bright colors, shaking the can of beer before squishing it in her fist and walked off with steam coming out her ears. She barely reached the next set of stairs before she exclaimed dramatically, "There's a pack of them here too!"

Sakura walked towards Sarah and indeed saw a pack of beer toppled over on the middle of the bottom third row section. The lights flickered on and the projector turned off. The cartoon box looked lumpy and drenched in liquid, Sarah nudged Sakura with her elbow and nodded towards the box. Sakura flinched at the surprising strength of her manager, raised her shoulder speaking to Sarah in gestures telling her, _"I don't know."_

The woman narrowed her eyes at Sakura, _"What do you mean you don't know?"_

Sakura shrugged her elbows, hand raised in the air pointing at Sarah. _"Well I don't know. You're the manager. You should know."_

Sarah nodded like she realized something important, _"you're right."_ She breathe in and walked towards the box. When she got there Sarah surprised Sakura with a piercing shout and a kick. "They're so cheap! What are these people thinking?" The box skidded across the floor, a yap escaped the cartoon box.

Sakura stared at Sarah with wide eyes, "It let out a sound," she said terrified. Sarah's face scrunched in fear, "It sounded like a hiss. Do you think it's a snake?"

Her voice was shaky and sped up.

The box started moving, whatever was inside the box started whimpering and its cries intensified by the second. Sakura got closer to it using the top of the broom to poke it. "Don't do that," Sarah ordered as she leaned all her weight against Sakura's back almost making Sakura topple face first on the concrete carpeted floor.

Sakura heaved out, "We have to see what it is in order to know what to do." _Plus, she thought, you aren't going to do it yourself so I might as well."_

After more rumbling and adjusting, Sakura opened the damp beer box with a shaking Sarah gripping her shoulders as support.

Inside laid a white puppy crying in hunger. Sarah paled and Sakura cooed.

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O o O. o O

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It was closing time already.

Sakura closed her locker while she buttoned her white blouse and picked up her purse. Sarah stood beside a white crate stuffed with blankets and Sakura's wool cardigan, "Who would do such a thing. Leaving a newborn puppy inside the theater room—hold up. How did they even get the dog inside?"

"That should be the least of our worries right know, Sarah. We have to figure out what to do with the puppy. It needs its mother who can obviously feed it. We can't keep the dog here."

Sarah looked at Sakura and Sakura stared back.

"No."

"Than what should we do? I can't take it—"

"I can't either."

"Come on."

"No."

Silence.

"Please?"

"Why don't you take it yourself?"

Sakura pulled Sarah closer towards the crate, "Look how cute it looks. Touch it."

Sarah paled, pulled her hand away and stuttered, "I'm- I'm more of a pig person." She looked away. "Can you please take it?" Sarah questioned softly.

Sakura looked at Sarah, the woman was trying hard to compose herself for she took settle deep breaths and it was then that Sakura realized Sarah's fear of dogs. Sakura picked the small crate up, "Uh. Sure, I'll take it. I got this."

Sakura assured her with a compassionate smile.

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O o O. o O

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It has been two weeks since the discovering of the puppy inside the movie room. Whoever left the dog and the beer never came back so know Sakura was stuck with a ranting manager and a whining puppy at home.

The sky was spotted with clouds. The sun was out. The cars were nowhere to been seen. And there was an elderly lady beating up two young women with a bouquet of flowers.

Bystanders watched the scene with wide eyes and hands covering their mouth. On the other side of the flower shop, Sakura suspected, stood the cause of the scene, a young man who ignored the scene behind him and reached out to grab a banzai tree unaware of Sakura's glare.

A very peaceful day indeed, Sakura concluded walking away.

. . . . . ... ... ... . . . . . . . . .

The bell rung and freezing cold air slapped her in the face.

"Good afternoon! How may I help you?"

"Hello, what do I need in order to put my dog for adoption?" Sakura spoke as she made her way toward main desk. The girl reached underneath the desk and pulled out a thin stack of papers, "We'll accept any type of documented form you have."

"Vaccination record, medical background," the girl continued informing Sakura leaving her surprised at the amount of _things_ a dog had.

"Uh," she fixes her shirt.

"What if, uh, it's a stray?"

The girl stared at her blinking twice before answering, "Than you can just bring him or her in. How old is the dog?"

Sakura fidgeted uncomfortable with the girls stare. Her eyes were pale blue, too pale, she noted.

"Well the thing is," Sakura leaned forward, "I found the puppy at work. I've been busy these past two weeks so I haven't been able to find a suitable place for the dog. I was passing by when I saw this Rescue and Adoption Center."

"I understand. Here, just fill out this form and we will call to inform you when we are ready to take the dog in our custody."

"Oh, I was hoping…"

"I apologize for the inconvenience. Currently we are full. There was an abandoned house somewhere in east of the town that hosted a multitude of dogs and cats."

Sakura looked at the paper, "Will it take long?"

The girl kept quiet thinking of something before offering Sakura a deal.

"Our Center has a website online. If you want, we can start and speed up the adoption process but the puppy will have to remain at your home; all we will need is for you to fill out the form on the right and email us various pictures of the puppy and we will post them online."

"That's all?"

The girl scratched her neck, her expression that of irritation, and then scratched her arm. "We will also need you to vaccinate the puppy as soon as possible. Is it a pure or a mix?"

"I'm not sure."

"Alright, for the breed ID section just leave it blank, I'll fill that out once the dog is adopted and you bring it here."

Sakura smiled thankfully but worried at the amount of scratching the girl did.

"Thank you so much. Can I bring the form tomorrow?"

The girl nodded, "If you want bring it with the vaccination record—"

"No need!"

The girls turned toward the entrance startled. A man wearing a white muscle shirt and ripped jeans blinded them with his smile. Litteraly.

"Oh, L—"

The man interrupted the employee.

"I have been notified that from now on our center will be able to give vaccinations!"

Another man popped out the back metal door, lips puckered. "Vaccination!? We can't give out vaccination? We only have volunteer employees! We aren't professionals."

"Nevertheless," the muscled man exclaimed looking at the paper in his hands with a toothy smile, "we will be giving vaccination as soon as… 07/12!"

Sakura felt the girl stiffen. "As soon as…? That's today!" She panicked.

Before either of them could react a sudden crowd of people barged in with cats and dogs pushing the men away from the main desk and almost crushing both Sakura and the employee.

* * *

[….] [….] [….] [….] [….] [….] [….]

* * *

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Sakura laid the paper on the black nightstand taking her time to acknowledge the small puppy scratching her leg and took a sip of tea.

The buzzing sound of the TV spread through her room mixing with the swirling of the wind and pitter-patter of the rain against the window. She extended her legs setting them on the sofa bench beside her bed, let out a sigh of frustration before laughing and picking the puppy up.

"You're making everything difficult for me." The dog whined and reached to lick her chin.

. O. . O. . O. . O

She lay covered with a blanket on her bed. The gentle hum of the heater lulling her to sleep as the flashing sensor light pleaded for her to stay awake. Small paws patted her cheek. Cries of fear came out, out of the puppy as he looked left and right for a way off the bed.

Scarlet stretched across the heavens clashing with hues of pink and purple, complementing the dimming sun whose bright gold glow had faded to an orange. The sun was resting and she was waking.

Flashes of white and gold filled her vision. Bright blue and green spread through her veins freezing her blood, stealing her breath, and left her struggling for one more ounce of air.

War screams and chilling words worked their way to her mind, a tight hold on her throat and the translucent shadow of a man straddled her, his hands cutting of her life. Her arms raised automatically swinging with no motive as she tried to vanish him from her mind. He laughed; His low chuckle felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown at her. The window cracked and the wind outside howled, pushing against the window, enraged. Sparks of blue whipped against her skin, shocking her, thin to thick whips of blue white lightning circled around them in stormy chaos.

The white of her eyes turned red, a trail of tears fell from the corner of her eyes, her eyes wide with fear as the man smiled at her with sudden sweetness in his lips. He leaned in closer to her and her world went dark once more.

The light of the moon illuminated her room. A sudden red molten glow lighted the side of her room. The smell of burning reached her nose and the panicked yaps from her puppy broke her from her trance.

The gold sun would forever have its rest, but she would forever be restless.

On the floor the adoption paper was consumed by the fire:

 _Owner: Miko_


End file.
